Voters still aren’t thrilled with the idea of living in a community that protects illegal immigrants from federal authorities. But they support only narrowly a law that would allow victims of crimes by those illegal immigrants to sue sanctuary communities.

Just 36% of Likely U.S. Voters favor the community they live in declaring itself a sanctuary for illegal immigrants. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 49% are opposed to living in a sanctuary community, while 14% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

In response to a number of murders and other serious crimes by illegal immigrants freed by sanctuary cities, President Trump announced in last week’s State of the Union address his support for a bill that would allow victims of those crimes to sue the cities. Forty-four percent (44%) of voters favor a law that would allow crime victims to sue sanctuary cities. Forty percent (40%) are opposed. Sixteen percent (16%) are not sure.

Sixty percent (60%) of Republicans favor such a law, compared to 31% of Democrats and 45% of voters not affiliated with either major political party.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted February 6 and 9, 2020 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Fifty-five percent (55%) of Democrats favor the community they live in declaring itself a sanctuary community. Just 22% of Republicans and 29% of unaffiliated voters agree.

Women and those under 40 are more enthusiastic about living in a sanctuary community than men and older voters are. Whites (33%) are less supportive of that idea than blacks (46%) and other minority voters (44%).

Fifty-eight percent (58%) of voters who favor living in a sanctuary community oppose a law that would allow crime victims to sue such communities. Sixty-six percent (66%) of those opposed to their community declaring itself a sanctuary support such a law.

Among voters who Strongly Approve of the job Trump is doing, 74% favor a law that would allow lawsuits against sanctuary cities. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of those who Strongly Disapprove of the president’s job performance oppose that kind of law.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted February 6 and 9, 2020 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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